The Tomball Cougars hosted the first round of the playoffs at Tomball ISD Stadium as Cypress Springs came in at 8-2 and the Cougars entered at 9-1 looking to defend their home turf and advance to round 2.
The Cougars would hold onto a tight lead throughout the game and end it with a victorious knee and a final score of 35-25, locking down their bi-district championship and securing a spot in the second round of the playoffs.
The game was tightly contested from the start, with the Cougars and Panthers both putting up shutout first quarters and trading blows in the second ending the half with the Cougars up one at 14-13 and getting the ball coming out of halftime.
Tomball had some struggles offensively in the first half but overall moved the ball well and pulled some magic out of their sleeve, running a successful fake punt from deep in their own territory to extend a drive that would lead to a touchdown and running a trick play that would find defensive lineman Lucas Pernas open for a touchdown. Defensively while allowing some ground they put up a solid performance that kept the game right where it was needed and allowed this team to shine at what they do best, which is come out of halftime prepared and grab momentum early to finish opponents.
And grab momentum they did as the Panthers barely had time to blink before they were hit with an electric strike from receiver Hunter Rathke, taking the first kickoff out of the locker room for six and instantaneously extending the lead. From that point the Cougars wouldn’t look back, keeping the lead throughout the second half with great offensive efficiency and ball control on the ground, and complementing that well with a strong defensive outing that held the four-star two-way player Paris Melvin and the rest of the Panthers offense in check.
Special teams were key to the game that can’t go unsung, as it was arguably where the Coogs gained their biggest advantage. The fake punt in the first half led to a touchdown, the kick return created a touchdown, and the Panthers left three points on the board through three blocked PATs. The Cougars played a sound game in all three phases and cleaning up little mistakes could lead to a deep run.
The next step in said run is the Willis Wildcats in their second-round matchup at Planet Ford Stadium this Friday night at 7. Willis is ranked #10 in Texas and has an extremely high-powered offense that can score nearly at will, but the Tomball Cougars have had an amazing season especially offensively and they can hang with the best of them. This game is sure to be high scoring, highly contested and an amazing electric matchup.
You can order tickets online here.
Player Highlights:
#3 Jaxyn Faldyn- 122 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 100 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
#32 Ian Thomas- 39 rushing yards, 1 TD
#10 Joey Bruhn- 2 catches, 67 yards
Defensive Highlights
#15 Braeden Schneider- 11 total tackles, 4 TFLs
#20 Dayton Navy- INT, 2 passes defended
#35 Nigel Harris- QB hurry, 5 total tackles
#98 Lucas Pernas- 3 total tackles, sack, QB hurry, 1 catch, 20 yards, TD
Enjoy these photos from the game.
